


A Bird of Foreign Tongue

by branwyn



Series: Strange Bright Crowds (Jessica lives 'verse) [3]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Jessica Lives, M/M, OT3 maybe OT4, Protectiveness, if Harold plays his cards right, rescuing Reese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22792357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/branwyn/pseuds/branwyn
Summary: "If you’re willing to let me help you, I can offer you—I guess you could call it a retirement package.”
Relationships: Harold Finch/Grace Hendricks, Harold Finch/John Reese, Jessica Arndt/John Reese
Series: Strange Bright Crowds (Jessica lives 'verse) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638598
Comments: 19
Kudos: 59
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	A Bird of Foreign Tongue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [talkingtothesky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/talkingtothesky/gifts).



Harold imagines that this is the way he might feel if he were a young boy who had managed to sneak into a zoo after hours and climb into the lion enclosure without anyone stopping him: proud, a little defiant, and swamped by the sudden, heart-stopping awareness that he’s trapped himself in a small space with one of nature’s deadliest creatures.

“I’m alone, and I’m unarmed,” he says. 

For days now, he’s been rehearsing what to say in this situation, and he thinks that revealing his vulnerabilities up front is probably his best chance of surviving long enough to make his argument. Whatever else may be true of this man, he doesn’t hurt people who give him no reason to do so.

“And while I’m sure that my unexpected appearance in your hotel room is disturbing,” he adds, “I promise, whatever it is you’re thinking I’m here for, you’re almost certainly mistaken. ”

There’s no noise, no movement. Harold doesn’t make the mistake of thinking that means he isn’t still closer to death than he’s ever been before in his life. Nathan would probably pay for a simulation of this experience, adrenaline-addict that he was.

“I am _aware_ of the work you do for the government,” he says quietly. “But I’m not interested in it. I don’t need your secrets, or even your considerable professional skills. I’m here because we have a mutual friend. Someone who would like it very much if you were to come home in one piece before you end up taking a bullet for your country. If you’re willing to let me help you, I can offer you—I guess you could call it a retirement package.”

A few seconds of silence follows, Harold biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying something stupid, like, _Are you there?_

__He knows Reese is there, watching, coiled to spring._ _

__“If you know what I do,” a hoarse voice says at last, “then you know, people in my business don’t retire.”_ _

__“Sure they do, Mr. Reese,” Harold says mildly. “But I can give you options that don’t include being shot in the back by your own people.”_ _

__When he finally steps out of the shadows, gun aimed low and steady, it’s all Harold can do not to gape. He’s seen pictures and video of John Reese, but they hadn’t prepared him._ _

__He’s got pretty eyes, high cheekbones, good hair. He’s one of those men who can look rough or elegant, depending on how he’s dressed and how recently he’s shaved. Just now, he’s somewhere in the middle, wearing a decent off-the-rack suit and three days’ worth of beard growth._ _

__But that handsome face of his is strangely difficult to look at. All expression has been flattened out of it, and yet his eyes are alive with suffering. He looks—frightening, yes, but also like a living portrait of stoic misery. Not vulnerable exactly. Tragic._ _

__Compassion is the last thing Harold expected to feel when ambushing a trained killer in his hotel room, but Reese seems almost _ill_ , as though the very life is being drained from his body. From a distance, it had been easy to diagnose him as a man who was conflicted over the job he’d signed up for, but until this moment, Harold hadn’t truly considered that as anything other than a leverage point to make Reese listen to him. _ _

__Now—Harold can’t let himself get distracted. But if he carries his point here, if he’s successful in persuading Reese to return to the city with him, then he must...he thinks he must try to do something for this man, if possible._ _

__“I have the resources to get you home safely,” Harold finds himself saying in a gentle voice. “I can set you up with a new identity, enough money to keep you comfortable.”_ _

__Reese stares at Harold for a long moment. He keeps the gun level. When he smiles, he looks like he’s biting down on something dead and rotten. “That’s mighty generous of you,” he rasps._ _

__“Would you have an easier time believing in my sincerity if I explained that I’m not just doing it for you?”_ _

__“So you said. We have a mutual friend? I’m listening.” _This will be good for a laugh before I shoot you,_ his eyes say._ _

__Harold walks over to the window, turning his back. It takes all his nerve to do so, but the best way to earn this man’s trust, he’s guessing, is by showing some._ _

__“When you began working for the agency, you left a friend behind.” Harold can see Reese’s reflection in the glass, but not the nuance of his expression, which is probably for the best. “She’s an important part of the reason why you do this work. You believe that as long as you’re out here, eliminating threats to national security, you’re making the world she lives in a safer place. You’re willing to spend your life in the shadows so she can walk in the sun. And even if, sometimes, you feel as if you’ve sold your soul, knowing she’s out there makes the sacrifice worthwhile.”_ _

__He can sense Reese’s sudden, intense alarm, so he says the next part quickly. “I have someone like that, too.”_ _

__After a moment, he looks back cautiously over his shoulder, and nearly jumps out of his skin. Reese is much, much closer than he’d been only second ago._ _

__“I found her at a time in my life when I thought all chance of happiness with another person had passed me by,” Harold rattles on. His voice is shaking, but that can’t be helped. “She made me feel connected to human society in a way I’d never felt before. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. To quote a play she’s fond of, I’d walk the world over to fetch her a blade of grass that she wanted.”_ _

__There’s something that Harold wants to interpret as a glimmer of uncertainty in Reese’s eyes. It’s as close as he’s going to get to encouragement; now is the moment to put his cards on the table._ _

__“Your friend’s name is Jessica,” he says. “She’s an RN, and she’s got that first responder mentality. Tough-minded, good-hearted, brave. I know, because a couple of months ago she was there when an irresponsible cyclist crashed into _my_ friend on the Brooklyn promenade. Jessica took care of her, bandaged her up with her own scarf, and sat with her until I could get there.”_ _

__“That does sounds like her,” Reese admits. “But that could just mean you did your homework.”_ _

__“I suppose.” Harold’s lips purse. “But if I were deceiving you for my own nefarious purposes, I wouldn’t make the mistake of letting you know that a person so dear to me even existed.”_ _

__Reese takes a step closer, until Harold almost imagines he can feel his breath against his skin. “How do I know she exists?” he says, low and insinuating. “What’s her name?”_ _

__The skin on the back of his neck prickles. For a moment he just stares into the glacial blue of Reese’s eyes. The truth is, he hadn’t intended to speak of Grace when he came here, and had only done so on impulse. He doesn’t want to give up any of her details, but he thinks he’s underestimated both how damaged Reese is, and how incorruptible. A venal man would be more curious about the money and the safety Harold is offering. Reese just looks like he wants to see inside Harold’s heart._ _

__Harold can respect his priorities, even as he resents the intrusion._ _

__“Grace,” he says through his teeth. “And unless you’re coming back to New York with me, you don’t need to know more than that.”_ _

__Reese blinks at him. Harold doesn’t bother to disguise his annoyance._ _

__Finally, he backs up a step or two, and puts his gun away. “So Jessica and Grace met in a park,” he says._ _

__“They’ve become very close. Practically inseparable.” Harold’s voice is wobbly with relief; perhaps the presence of the gun had rattled him more than he realized. “After Jessica ended her engagement a few weeks ago, Grace invited her to come stay with us. She’s been living in our home ever since. I believe she’s currently looking for jobs with hospitals in the city.”_ _

__Reese’s chin comes up, and his eyes go wide. “She left Arndt?” he says flatly. “Why would she do that?”_ _

__“I’m afraid that’s Jessica’s business. If you want the details, you’ll just have to ask her yourself.”_ _

__The fight goes out of Reese so suddenly that Harold feels like a fool. _I should have led with that information, it would have saved time._ Of course the idea of returning to a city where he could only watch Jessica be happy at a distance wouldn’t be enough to turn Reese away from what he perceived as his duty. _ _

__“What I can tell you,” Harold continues, “is that Jessica cares for you deeply. She misses you, and she worries about you. Unfortunately, even after I made it my business to look you up, I couldn’t give her any assurances. As far as I can tell, you haven’t known a moment’s safety since you started working with the CIA two years ago.”_ _

__Reese digests this for a moment. “Also,” he says, “I’m guessing she’d be pretty surprised if she knew you were capable of digging up that kind of information about covert government operatives._ _

__“Yes.” Harold adjusts his glasses. “She probably would.”_ _

__“How about Grace?”_ _

__“Her too. Very few people are aware of the scope of my resources, and that is how I prefer it to remain.” He arches his eyebrows at Reese. “If you’re still looking for the catch in my offer, Mr. Reese, congratulations: you just found it. I can extract you safely, convince your handlers that you’re dead, and set you up with a new life. But you can never tell anyone I did it, not even Jessica.”_ _

__“Or else?” Reese says, eyes glinting in the half-light._ _

__Harold gestures helplessly. He has the strangest suspicion that Reese is teasing him, but the threat is too real to simply laugh off._ _

__“If you’re _determined_ to repay a kindness with gross ingratitude? I can’t stop you.” He allows his exasperation to become audible. “But if Grace discovers that I’ve lied to her, I imagine she’ll feel very hurt. And if Grace gets hurt, Jessica will get angry. As I told you, they’re very close.”_ _

__Reese’s eyes crease at the corners, as if the picture he’s forming of Grace and Jessica’s relationship amuses him—or pleases him, perhaps._ _

__“I don’t expect you to trust me, Mr. Reese,” Harold says. “But perhaps you can understand this much. Grace means more to me than anything on earth, and her life before we met was not an easy one. I’m always wanting to give her things to make up for it, which is frustrating, because she isn’t really the acquisitive sort. She likes experiences. I can get away with food or flowers, more often than clothes or jewelry. But recently, Jessica’s happiness has become an object of the first importance to her. So, if you could just see your way to returning to New York with me, I’d consider it something of a personal favor.”_ _

__Reese doesn’t look quite so frightening anymore, but the misery in his eyes hasn’t gone anywhere. “If you’re telling the truth, then I’m glad she has Grace in her life,” he says. “But you wasted a trip. I don’t make Jess happy. About all I’ve ever done is cause her grief.”_ _

__Harold’s face crumples at the taut despair in his voice. “You’re wrong, Mr. Reese,” he says. “I’m not Jessica’s first choice of confidante, but I know for a fact that you’re wrong about that.”_ _

__“How do you know?” he demands. “Did she ask you to do this?”_ _

__“I didn’t want to say anything to her until I was sure I’d have good news. She’s had such a hard time recently, I couldn’t bear the idea of disappointing her.”_ _

__Just as Harold expected, this mention of Jessica’s unhappiness rivets Reese’s attention. “What happened to her?” he demands—pleads, really. “You said she left Arndt. Was—was he cheating on her?”_ _

__It seems the truth hasn’t even crossed Reese’s mind. Perhaps it’s too painful to contemplate even as a hypothetical. Harold can understand that._ _

__“As I said, Jessica’s relationship with Mr. Arndt isn’t for me to gossip about.” He adjusts his glasses. “But I can tell you that he came to call on us shortly after Jessica moved in, and that I returned the favor at his offices the very next morning. If he’s ever again within 300 yards of her, I’ll be notified—and he’ll be facing bankruptcy. It may interest you to know that he owes quite a lot of money to the kind of people who put the ‘dead’ in ‘deadbeat’, so frankly, it’s as much as his life’s worth to risk it.”_ _

__Reese’s mouth opens. Abruptly, he sits down on the edge of the bed, looking dazed, lost. Harold surprises himself by joining him, placing his hands on his knees where Reese can see them, but sitting close enough that they’re sharing body heat._ _

__Neither of them speaks for awhile. Reese is visibly digesting the revelation that Jessica hasn’t been safe these last few years as he thought, but rather, fighting on the front lines of her own war. Harold’s no soldier, nor is he a violent man in any sense of the word, but he has his own sorts of weapons, and he knows exactly what he’d do with them if anyone—if Grace were ever—he can’t even form the thought without elevating his heart rate._ _

__He can guess something of what Reese must be feeling, that is the point. So he’s happy to give him a moment._ _

__“Is she safe now?” Reese says finally. “Are _you_ keeping her safe?”_ _

__Harold contemplates his choice of emphasis. Reese wasn’t leaving him any plausible denial to hide in; he was demanding Harold’s personal guarantee that he would stand between Jessica and harm, when necessary._ _

__“Since she came to live with us, I’ve done my best,” he says, impulsively taking Reese’s limp hand in his own. He’s not completely surprised when Reese doesn’t recoil. He leads such a lonely life. “And not only for Grace’s sake. I’m very fond of Jessica. She’s warm, and kind. Funny.” He pauses. “At least, she tells a lot of jokes, and they make Grace laugh.”_ _

__“Her jokes are terrible,” says Reese._ _

__“They are, aren’t they? But one can’t help laughing at them anyway.”_ _

__Reese smiles—just a flash, a glimpse of white teeth quickly hidden behind his hand, but it makes the entire room feel a degree or two warmer. Harold can’t help smiling along with him._ _

__All of a sudden, he thinks he understands what it is Jessica makes Grace feel. She’d been so protective, so invested in Jessica so quickly, that Harold worried she was in the grip of some strange infatuation that would eventually hurt her, maybe even threaten their own relationship._ _

__His feelings changed the night Jessica came to dinner the first time. Watching the tension visibly unspooling from her body as she relaxed gradually under their combined attentions had been immensely gratifying. And it highlighted how watchful and wounded she’d been the first few times they met. By the time she’d worked up the nerve to confide in them about the violence she was living with, neither he nor Grace were especially surprised. They’d been expecting _something_._ _

__Feeling the solid warmth of the man next to him, Harold thinks that he could hunt down and destroy everyone who had ever taken advantage of Reese’s ideal of service. It would certainly be satisfying. But he would rather build doors for Reese to walk through, a home where he can feel safe._ _

__The possibility that he might say no after all, that he and Mr. Reese might part ways here and never see each other again, doesn’t even cross Harold’s mind. For a few years now, there hasn’t been anyone on Earth that he can’t find if he need to._ _

__“I can’t guarantee that you and Jessica will live happily every after,” he says. “I can promise you a second chance. You’re still gonna need to work for it.”_ _

__He can tell he got it right by the Reese’s shoulder slump all at once. Of course: he needed to see this as a job, a purpose, before he could let himself have it._ _

__“If you have no objections, we’ll need to leave right way,” he says, rising from the bed. He offers John his hand. “You can call me Harold.”_ _


End file.
